Monday, June 25, 2012

Seafood by the Seashore on Virginia's Eastern Shore

I love looking at bodies of water while
dining. I don’t mean sitting on the sand eating a sandy sandwich. I mean
sitting at a table in a rustic seafarer’s café of an upscale seaside
restaurant. Living on America’s East Coast presents many opportunities to satisfy
my seaside and fresh seafood desires.

So recently I visited Virginia’s Eastern
Shore. Here are a few of my favorite eateries.

Virginia
Beach

Bubba’s Restaurant sits so close to Lynnhaven Inlet
that, from inside, it appears to float. Picture windows wrap around three walls
of the dining room, filled with long tables. My group sat indoors, but there’s
a covered deck where you can enjoy your food accompanied by the sounds of
seagulls and lapping water.

I ordered the Eastern Shore sandwich.
The oysters were plump, moist, lightly coated and crisply fired. They snuggled
close to the best coleslaw ever – a white and purple cabbage mixture with a
piquant dressing.

The
Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel

Imagine eating a full hot breakfast in
the center of a 17½-mile bridge. You, too, can experience this unique
experience at the Chesapeake Grill, a full-service café that prepares
breakfast, lunch and dinner, using mostly locally-grown ingredients and fresh
seafood. In their gift shop, you can pick up some local products, including the
highly-rated Virginia wines.

Cape
Charles

The historic Victorian town of CapeCharles, I admit, perfectly fits the title of “sleepy.” No malls, traffic
lights, hustle or bustle – perfect for a family vacation or lover’s getaway.
Since I wasn’t there with my family or my lover, I went for the food.

Located in the Bay Creek Resort’s
upscale Marina Village is Aqua, a handsome restaurant that features meat and
pasta dishes, along with fresh seafood creations. We lunched in the dining room
with a stunning view of the bay. They passed around a tasty appetizer of fried
calamari with onions and chilies. For my entrée, I chose Aqua’s Signature Crab
Cake Sandwich with fries, cole slaw and chipotle aioli. The crab cakes were
meaty with no detectable filler.

We were treated to goodies brought by
Pamela Barefoot of the Blue Crab Bay Company that specializes in gourmet foods,
condiments, gifts and stoneware. I couldn’t stop snacking on the spicy honey
peanuts.

There were some good inland restaurants,
too, but I’ll mention them at another time.

About Me

I became interested in travel as I studied art history. I wanted to view the wonderful paintings, sculpture and architecture in person. As I did so, I discovered the people and their lifestyles which intrigued me. I've continued to travel and have gone beyond the borders of Western art. Travel, foreign and domestic, has enriched my life and has broadened my perspective.